The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing the user instructional information describing the operation of their television receiving device system.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of providing instructional materials for a television converter having memory, comprising the steps of: receiving a command to set a record timer at a television converter from a service provider and absent a user input at a first time, the command to set a record timer configuring the television converter to record instructional materials to be broadcast at a second time different from the first time; setting a record timer, absent a user input, to record the instructional material at the second time and from a certain channel specified by the command; receiving instructional materials at the television converter at a second time different from the first time; in response to the recording timer, storing the instructional materials in the memory, the instructional materials being related to the operation of the television converter; providing through a graphical user interface an indication that the instructional materials are available for presentation; and outputting the instructional materials related to the operation of the television converter for presentation on a television.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the instruction materials relate to a new feature that has been downloaded to the television converter.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the instructional materials relate to the installation of the television converter and associated equipment.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said instruction materials are preloaded into the memory of the television converter.
5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the instructional materials assess a quality of the user's installation and provide feedback to the user.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the instructional materials are an audio visual presentation.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the instructional materials are listed along with other audio visual programs that have been recorded by the television converter.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the instructional materials are an interactive program.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the interactive program requires input from the user.
10. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the television converter stores the instructional materials as a background event.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the background event is an unbeknownst operation that occurs while the user is operating the television converter.
12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the background event is an operation that occurs while the television converter is not in operation by the user.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of storing includes: commanding the television converter to record the instructional materials; and recording the instructional information according to the record command.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is a pop-up-window that tells the user there is instructional information stored in the memory.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is a start of the instructional materials that requires the user to select later whether to continue viewing.
16. A television converter apparatus to store and to present instructional materials related to the operation of the television converter apparatus, comprising: an instructional data receiver configured to receive a recording instruction, absent a user input, at a first time received at the television converter apparatus, the recording instruction configuring the television converter to record instructional materials to be broadcast at a second time different from the first time, further operative to receive instructional materials from a service provider at a second time different from the first time, the recording instruction initiating storage of the instructional materials by setting a recording timer, absent a user input, to record the instructional materials at the second time and from a certain channel specified by the recording instruction; a memory to store the instructional materials, the instructional materials being related to the operation of the television converter apparatus; and a processor that outputs a graphical user interface, for presentation on a television, that instructional materials are available for presentation and outputs the instructional materials related to the operation of the television receiving device for presentation on a television display device.
17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional materials relate to a new feature that has been downloaded to the television converter apparatus.
18. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional program receiver receives instructional data at a high data rate.
19. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional program receiver receives instructional data in a burst data package.
20. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional data receiver is a satellite transmission receiver.
21. An apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the instructional materials are multiplexed in a data stream transmitted from a satellite television distributor and relayed by a satellite.
22. An apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the satellite transmission receiver receives data from a dedicated satellite transponder.
23. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional data receiver receives data via a landline connection.
24. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional data receiver receives preloaded instructional data before shipment of the television converter apparatus to the customer.
25. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the television converter apparatus includes a user input receiver.
26. An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the user input receiver is a remote control.
27. An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the user input receiver receives input from a user reacting to an interactive program.
28. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the memory is nonvolatile memory.
29. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the memory is a hard drive.
30. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional materials are an audio/visual presentation that the television signal transmitter sends to a television.
31. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the instructional materials are an interactive program that the television signal transmitter sends to a television.
32. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the graphical display is a list of audio visual programs that have been recorded by the television receiving device.
33. An apparatus according to claim 32 , wherein the instructional materials are listed as the first entry in the list of recorded audio visual programs.
34. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface is a pop-up-window that tells the user there are instructional materials stored in the memory.
35. A method for providing instructional materials in video form for the installation of a satellite television receiver, having a hard drive for the recording of video programming, and the installation of an associated satellite antenna that requires precise pointing for the reception of video programming from a satellite, the method comprising: receiving a service provider initiated command, absent a user input, at a first time, the command being to store a video presentation to be broadcast at a second time different from the first time; setting a recording time, absent a user input, to record the video presentation at the second time and from a certain channel specified by the service provider initiated command; receiving the video presentation at the second time; in response to the recording timer, storing on a hard drive of the satellite television receiver information, in video form, prior to the distribution process for said satellite television receiver, the video presentation concerning the installation of the satellite television receiver including the mounting and pointing of the satellite antenna; providing a user interface allowing a user of the satellite television receiver to play the video presentation concerning the installation of the satellite television receiver including the mounting and pointing of the satellite antenna and to display a signal strength measurement; outputting said video from said satellite television receiver and said signal strength measurement for displaying on an associated television display; whereby a user of the satellite television receiver can watch such instructional video materials for pointing said satellite antenna prior to actually pointing the satellite antenna.
36. A method according to claim 35 wherein said video presentation concerning the installation of the satellite television receiver including the mounting and pointing of the satellite antenna is recorded to said satellite television receiver hard drive during the manufacturing process for said satellite television receiver.
37. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the record timer is generated at least partially using data contained in an electronic program guide.
38. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first time precedes the second time.
39. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first time precedes the second time.
40. A method according to claim 35 , wherein the first time precedes the second time.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 13, 2004
July 21, 2015
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